Staff Reports

Emma Azar McElvy

Montgomery

Emma Azar McElvy, 86, went home to a glorious new life on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004. Mrs. Pope McElvy was a life-long resident of Montgomery, a committed member of St. Bede Catholic Church, and above all else, a caring wife and mother.

As an active member of the faith community in Montgomery, Mrs. McElvy touched the lives of many through her Bible studies at Seton Haven. She also served as head of the Saturday CCD School for a number of years, and she retired with the Alabama Highway Department as supervisor of keypunch operators. Her greatest legacy, however, was the devotion and loyalty manifested in her seven children and their offspring.

Mrs. McElvy is preceded in death by her dear husband of 62 years, Pope McElvy; a sister, Catherine Azar Reickenback; and a brother, Zack Azar Jr.

Survivors include children Pope (Cassy) McElvy of Montgomery, Douglas (Eleanor) McElvy of Montgomery, Elaine McElvy (David) Ranieri of St. Petersburg, Fla., Zack (Vercie) McElvy of Grady, Bob (Pat) McElvy of Montgomery, Anne McElvy (Versal) Spalding of New Market, and Katherine McElvy (Fred) Bravo of Ft. Meyers, Fla.; brothers George (Celeste) Azar of Montgomery, Edward (Gloria) Azar of Montgomery, Tommy (Ruth) Azar of Montgomery, and Jimmy (Linda) Azar of Montgomery; sisters Margaret Azar (Ed) Clark of Montgomery, Josephine “Dodie” Azar Pappanastos of Montgomery, Helen Azar Bowman of Montgomery, and Dottie Azar Dean of Montgomery; 35 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004, at 10 a.m. at St. Bede Catholic Church with Fathers Jimmy Dean and Den Irwin officiating and Leak-Memory Chapel directing.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, at 5:30 p.m. at Leak-Memory Chapel.

Pallbearers include grandsons Chris McElvy, Paul McElvy, Jonathan McElvy, Douglas McElvy Jr., Matt Parker, Joey McElvy, Chip Spalding, Christopher Spalding and Andrew Spalding.

Haze Hare

Geiger

Haze Hare Sr., 52, of Geiger, died Sept. 7, 2004 at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Miss. Visitation was Saturday, Sept. 11, from 1-6 p.m. at the mortuary. Funeral services will be held on Monday, Sept. 13, 2004, at 1 p.m. at the St. Mark Baptist Church in Geiger. The Rev. Daniel Jenkins is pastor. The Rev. Tommie Hibbler will officiate and interment will follow in the adjoining cemetery. The remains will be placed in the church an hour prior to the service with McInnis Mortuary of Livingston entrusted with all arrangements.

Grace Holifield Nichols

Marion

Grace Holifield Nichols, 81, of Marion, died Saturday Sept. 11, 2004 at the UAB Medical Center. Funeral services will be held on Monday, Sept. 13, 2004 at 11 a.m. at the Graveside. The Rev. James L. Waters Jr. will be officiating with burial in the Mt. Nebo cemetery. Kirk Funeral Homes Marion Chapel entrusted with all arrangements. She leaves to cherish her precious memories, a loving husband, Ralph Nichols of Marion, one son, Glenn Nichols (Rita) of Prattville; one daughter Ralphine Nichols Oakes (Mason) of Clinton, Tenn.; one sister, Azell Smith of McCall; five grandchildren, Monica Oakes, Melissa Oakes, Gregory Nichols, Mark Nichols, and Jeffrey Nichols, and three great grandchildren, Hayden, Matthew, and Kaleb. Active pallbearers are Gregory Nichols, Mark Nichols, Jeffrey Nichols, Bruce Nichols Jr., Leon Smith, and Ellis Thomas. Mrs. Nichols was married to the “Love of her Life,” Ralph Nichols for 63 years. Together they owned and operated Nichols Plumbing. The family would like to express their thanks to all their friends, family, and devoted caretakers who stood by them over the years.

James Clifton Williams

Linden

James Clifton Williams, Jr., 68 of Linden, passed away at his home on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2004. Visitation was held Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004 from 6-8 p.m. Services were held on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004 at 11 a.m. at Linden United Methodist Church. Rev. Jim Meadows officiated with burial following at Linden Memorial Park, Linden. Pallbearers were Calvin Sewell, Terry Barr, Delaney Aydelotte, Fred Duke, Fred Brown, and Bubba Thomas. Honorary pallbearers were Dewey Willingham, George Braswell, Drew Sanford, Jerry Jackson, Don Jackson, Frank Dunn, Robert Thornton, Billy Baker, James Lewis, Joe Quinney, J.D. Flowers, Wade Drinkard, W.J. Cannon, Bo Ward, Melton Hinson, Mike Cowling, Jerry Quinney, and the employees of Sunshine Cleaners. He leaves to cherish his most precious memories a loving wife, Hannelore Erna Williams of Linden, two sons, James Clifton (Donna) Williams, III of Demopolis and Michael Gene Williams of Atlanta, Ga., and three daughters, Ruth Ellen (Tommy) Williams Cristwell of Demopolis, Sigrid Barbara Williams Wilkinson of Linden, and Shirley Maxine Davis of Dothan. Mr. Williams was born in Selma, on Oct. 21, 1935. He was a retired welder from Southern Natural Gas Co. and owner of Sunshine Cleaners. He was a veteran in the military. Mr. Williams was a member of Linden Baptist Church in Linden.

Sarah Guinn Cannon

Linden

Sarah Guinn Cannon, 88 of Linden, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004 at Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital. Visitation was held Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004 from 12:30 – 2 p.m. Services were held on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004 at 2 p.m. at the O’Bryant Chapel Funeral Home. The Revs. Tony Cannon and Daniel Gandy officiated with burial following at Holt Cemetery in Thomaston.

Mrs. Cannon was a homemaker and she was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Linden. She is preceded in death by her husband, Garland F. Cannon, daughters, LeGrand “Doll” Hill and Glenda Faye Cannon, a son Edward Garland Cannon, and a daughter in law, Bethany C. Cannon. She leaves to cherish her precious memories, three sons, Aubrey E. (Jo Ann) Cannon, of Linden, Walter M. Cannon of Linden, and Sam G. (Susan) Cannon, of Sardis; two daughters, Gwendolyn C. (Sidney) Hill, Millry, and Louise C. (Ronnie) Mock of York, one sister, Daisy Bell Cannon of Linden, and a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Pallbearers were Kenneth Cannon, Keith Cannon, Ricky Hill, Ron Norris, Lee Mock, and Jimmy Tate.

Honorary pallbearers were the staff of Marengo Nursing Home.

Una Montz Epperson Surber

Opelika

Una Montz Epperson Surber, 83 of Opelika, passed on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004 at the Bethany House in Auburn. Mrs. Surber was born on Sept. 7, 1921 in Perry County, to Thomas Douglas Montz and Altha Esma Bamberg. Funeral services were held on Sept. 12, 2004 at 3 p.m. at Kirk Funeral Homes Greensboro Chapel with Dr. Rusty Sowell and the Rev. Milford Walters officiating. Interment followed in Havana United Methodist Church Cemetery. Visitation was held on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004 from 6-8 p.m. at Kirk Funeral Homes Greensboro Chapel. She leaves to cherish her most precious memories, a devoted husband, Mr. Harold W. Surber of Opelika, two sons, William (Shirley) Epperson and Robert (Elizabeth) D. Epperson, both of Marion, one stepson, Jim (Chris) Surber of Decatur, two daughters, Amy (Glen) Stone of Moundville, and Linda (Dow) McDaniel of Opelika, one brother, Charles Montz, one sister, Evelyn Avera of Pensacola, Fla., 15 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Morris Epperson and daughter, Ann Rinehart. Una Surber was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be greatly missed. She was a member of Providence Baptist Church. Active Pallbearers were Chris Pritchett, Jeff Pritchett, Zack Sone, Wade Epperson, Kevin Rembert, and Wayne York.

Louise Bailey Noland

Richardson, Texas

Louise Bailey Noland (Wall), 93, a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away on Sept. 9, 2004, at Richardson Regional Hospital in Richardson, Texas. She was born in Randolph County, Alabama to Edgar Grubbs Bailey and Effie Hill Bailey on Feb. 8, 1911. She moved to Anniston, as a young girl with her parents and siblings, and graduated from Anniston High School in 1928. She moved to Tuscaloosa, in 1936 when her husband was assigned to duty with the Army R.O.T.C. at the University of Alabama. She started her real-estate business in 1956, and became the first woman member of the Tuscaloosa Board of Realtors that same year. She helped start the multiple listing service in May of 1971, sold her real estate business and commenced serving as Executive Secretary of the Tuscaloosa Boards of Realtors and served in that capacity until she retired in 1975. She is a past president of the Altrusa Club and the Hera Study Club, and was a charter member of the Tuscaloosa Preservation Society. She loved her church, and was a tireless and faithful member of the Tuscaloosa First Christian Church from 1936 until she moved to Texas in 2002. She was instrumental in helping to acquire the property for the current location of the First Christian Church on Paul Bryant Drive. She is survived by her only child, son, Jerry E. Wall and his wife, Joyce P. Wall of Richardson, Texas; grandsons, Douglas Kallam Wall and wife Susan of Phenix City, and Jonathan David Wall and wife Teresa of Columbus, Miss.; step-granddaughters, Cynthia Tidwell Nelson and husband Rob of McKinney, Texas; Holly Tidwell Risser and husband David of Plano, Texas; great-granddaughters, Renee and Amanda Wall of Columbus, Miss.; sister Lurline Bailey McCarley of Huntsville; sister-in-law, Myrtle Shurett of Tuscaloosa; five nieces, and one nephew. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Rudolph Bailey and sister Mary Bailey Doss. A celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004 at 2 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 627 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa. Memorials may be sent to the First Christian Church, Tuscaloosa.

Trent Lamon Tucker

Marion

Trent Lamon Tucker, 2 of Marion, died Sept. 11, 2004 in Guntersville. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004 at 11 a.m.. at Graveside. The Rev. John Fender will be officiating with burial following in Pine Crest Memorial Gardens with Kirk Funeral Homes Marion Chapel. The family will receive family and friends from 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 at Kirk Funeral Homes Marion Chapel. He leaves behind, his mother, Emily L. Keller of Marion, a stepfather, Carl Keller, paternal grandparents, Herb and Geralyn Tucker of Marion, great-grandmother, Lillian S. Tucker of Marion, great-grandmother, Flora Northcutt of Greensboro. He leaves behind Aunt Terri Tucker and Uncle Ben Tucker who loved him with all their heart and many other relatives and friends who will miss his sweet smiling face and loving ways. Trent was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Marion Tucker, III “Trey.” In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trent Tucker Memorial Playground at Marion Academy 2002 Prier Drive Marion, 36756.